Sternal closure assembly

Abstract

A sternal closure assembly for securing first and second lateral halves of a sternum. The assembly includes a first sliding body having a female portion and a second sliding body having a male portion, the male portion being telescopically mateable with the female portion. The male portion is capable of being fully introduced into the female portion only upon there being an elastic deformation of at least a part of at least one of the male and female portions, the male and female portions configured such that when the second body is mated with the first body the elastic deformation results in a forceful engagement between the male and female portions and also a forceful engagement between a first set of non-deforming teeth extending upward from an interconnecting bridge member of the first sliding body and a second set of non-deforming teeth extending upward from an interconnecting bridge member of the second sliding body.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A sternal closure assembly for securing first and second lateral halves of a sternum that has been longitudinally severed, the sternal closure assembly comprising:
 a first sliding body member including a first interconnecting bridge member and at least one leg extending downwardly from the first interconnecting bridge member, the at least one leg configured to abut an exterior edge of the first lateral halve of the sternum, the first interconnecting bridge member having a length and comprising a female portion, the female portion delimited in part by a base of the first interconnecting bridge member, the base including a top side comprising a plurality of upward projecting teeth arranged substantially transverse to the length of the first interconnecting bridge member; and 
 a second sliding body telescopically mateable with the first sliding body, the second sliding body including a second interconnecting bridge member and at least one leg extending downwardly from the second interconnecting bridge member, the at least one leg configured to abut an exterior edge of the second lateral halve of the sternum, the second interconnecting bridge member having a length and comprising a male portion, the second interconnecting bridge member having a bottom side comprising a plurality of downward projecting teeth engageable with the plurality of upward projecting teeth, the plurality of downward projecting teeth arranged substantially transverse to the length of the second interconnecting bridge member, 
 when the first and second sliding bodies are mated, or being telescopically mated, the plurality of upward projecting and downward projecting teeth are configured to engage with one another in a manner that only permits a telescopic shortening of the sternal closure assembly without there being a change in the position of the plurality of upward projecting teeth in relation to the first interconnecting bridge member nor a change of position of the plurality of downward projecting teeth in relation to the second interconnecting bridge member, 
 the male portion capable of being introduced into the female portion only upon there being an elastic deformation of at least a part of at least one of the male and female portions, the male and female portions configured such that when the second sliding body is mated with the first sliding body the elastic deformation results in a forced engagement between the male and female portions and also in a forced engagement between the plurality of upward projecting teeth and downward projecting teeth. 
 
     
     
       2. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the female portion comprises a channel delimited by at least one wall, the at least one wall configured to elastically deform by bending outward when the male portion is introduced into the female portion. 
     
     
       3. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the female portion comprises a channel delimited by at least a first wall and a second wall, the first wall extending from the base of the first interconnecting bridge member, the second wall connected to the first wall and extending over at least a portion of the base, the first wall configured to elastically deform by bending outward when the male portion is introduced into the female portion. 
     
     
       4. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the female portion comprises a channel delimited by at least a first wall and a second wall, the first wall extending from a base of the first interconnecting bridge member, the second wall connected to the first wall and extending over at least a portion of the base, the second wall configured to elastically deform by bending outward when the male portion is introduced into the female portion. 
     
     
       5. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the female portion comprises a channel delimited by at least a first wall and a second wall, the first wall extending from a base of the first interconnecting bridge member, the second wall connected to the first wall and extending over at least a portion of the base, each of the first and second walls being configured to elastically deform by bending outward when the male portion is introduced into the female portion. 
     
     
       6. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the female portion comprises a channel delimited by at least an L-shaped wall, the L-shaped wall including a first segment that extends substantially orthogonally from a base of the first interconnecting bridge member and a second segment connected to the first segment that extends over at least a portion of the base, the L-shaped wall configured to elastically deform such that at least one of the first and second segments bends outward when the male portion is introduced into the female portion. 
     
     
       7. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the male portion is configured to elastically deform and the female portion is configured not to deform when the male portion is introduced into the female portion. 
     
     
       8. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the female portion is configured to elastically deform and the male portion is configured not to deform when the male portion is introduced into the female portion. 
     
     
       9. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein both the male portion and the female portion are configured to elastically deform when the male portion is introduced into the female portion. 
     
     
       10. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the male portion comprises an elastomeric member, the male portion having dimensional characteristics that require the elastomeric member to be at least partially compressed to fit within the female portion. 
     
     
       11. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the male portion includes a first part that is configured not to deform when the male portion is introduced into the female portion, the elastomeric member formed separately from the first part and being attached to the first part. 
     
     
       12. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the female portion comprises an elastomeric member, the male portion having dimensional characteristics that require the elastomeric member to be at least partially compressed for the male portion to fit within the female portion. 
     
     
       13. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the female portion includes a first part that is configured not to deform when the male portion is introduced into the female portion, the elastomeric member formed separately from the first part and being attached to the first part. 
     
     
       14. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the female portion comprises a channel configured to receive a part of the male portion, the channel being delimited by at least an upper wall and a lower wall and having a first height dimension, the male portion including a plurality of elastically deformable, spaced-apart tabs that extend substantially orthogonally from a base of the second interconnecting bridge member, the male portion having a second height dimension greater than the first height dimension prior to the male portion being introduced into the channel, the plurality of tabs configured to bend in a direction toward the base when the part is introduced into channel. 
     
     
       15. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein at least some of the plurality of tabs include a leading edge in the form of a ramp having a forward end and a trailing end, the forward end having a height less than the height of the trailing end. 
     
     
       16. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the female portion comprises:
 first and second wall segments extending respectively from first and second sides of a base of the first interconnecting bridge member, 
 a third wall segment connected to the first wall segment and forming with the base and first wall segment a first elongate channel, the third wall segment extending at least partially over the base, 
 a fourth wall segment connected to the second wall segment and forming with the base and second wall segment a second elongate channel, the fourth wall segment extending at least partially over the base, 
 a gap existing between the third and fourth wall segments, the gap having a width, 
 
 the male portion comprises:
 a first part configured to reside within the first channel when the second sliding body is telescopically mated with the first sliding body, 
 a second part configured to reside within the second channel when the second sliding body is telescopically mated with the first sliding body, 
 a third part coextensive with and located between the first and second parts, the third part having first and second opposing side walls that are separated by a distance, the distance being greater than the width of the gap. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein one or both of the first and second wall segments of the female portion are configured to elastically deform by bending outward when the male portion is introduced into the female portion. 
     
     
       18. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first interconnecting bridge member comprises a base having a first side and a second side, the female portion having first and second substantially L-shaped members extending from the respective first and second sides, the first and second substantially L-shaped members forming with the base first and second elongate channels, each of the first and second substantially L-shaped members having a first wall segment extending from the base and a second wall segment connected to the first wall segment, each of the second wall segments extending at least partially over the base with there being a gap existing between the second wall segments, the base and each of the second wall segments separated by a first height dimension, the male portion comprising first and second elongate members configured to respectively reside inside the first and second elongate channels of the female portion when the first and second sliding bodies are telescopically mated, each of the first and second elongate members including a leading section in the form of a ramp having a first end and a second end, the first end having a height dimension less than the first height dimension, the second end having a height dimension greater than the first height dimension. 
     
     
       19. The sternal closure assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein each of the first and second elongate members comprise an elastomeric material and have dimensional characteristics that require a compression of the elastomeric material for the first and second elongate members to be fitted into the respective first and second channels. 
     
     
       20. The sternal closure device according to  claim 18 , wherein at least a part of the female portion is configured to elastically deform and the male portion is configured not to deform when the male portion is introduced into the female portion. 
     
     
       21. The sternal closure device according to  claim 18 , wherein each of the first and second elongate members of the male portion are configured to elastically deform when the male portion is introduced into the female portion. 
     
     
       22. The sternal closure device according to  claim 21 , wherein at least a part of the female portion is configured to elastically deform and each of the first and second elongate members of the male portion are configured to elastically deform when the male portion is introduced into the female portion.